House Blackgard
House Blackgard' of Blackgard '''is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. Their lands are the Borderlands, a long stretch of land that originally belonged to the Stormlands. Their stronghold is called Blackgard and it is the third largest city in Westeros. They guard the borders that separate the Stormlands from the Reach and the Crownlands and oversee all travelers looking to leave, or enter the Stormlands. Their cadet branch guards the border of Dorne. They hold the titles: Lord of Blackgard, Shield of the East, Warden of the Borderlands, Lord Defender of the Stormlands and Lord Paramount of the Borders. House Blackgard's sigil is a black sword in a golden crown on a white background. The sword stands for Argon the Black and the crown originally represented the Durrandons, the former rulers of the Stormlands. The two golden axes that surround the sword represent their vast armies that guard the Borderlands. The ancestral Blackgard stronghold is the eponymous city of Blackgard, but after the Fourth Border Wars, they have also taken possession of old Keller territories in the Stormlands for over five years, until those lands were given to a cadet branch of the Blackgards, House Droft. Although nominally holding allegiance to House Baratheon of King's Landing, the Blackgards actually hold fealty to House Targaryen, the former royal house of the Seven Kingdoms. House Blackgard's official motto is: '"None Shall Pass"'. History Background House Blackgard is one of the Great HousesGreat House of Westeros. They control the Borderlands, a large stretch of land located between the Stormlands, the Crownlands, the Reach and Dorne. They rule over the Borderlands from the eponymous city of Blackgard and the head of the house is the Lord of Blackgard. House Blackgard rose to prominence during the Wars of Conquest. The Blackgards showed great ruthlessness to King Aegon's men during The Great PassThe Great Pass. Impressed by their fierceness, Aegon elevated the Blackgards to Lords Paramount of the BordersLord Paramount of the Borders. House Blackgard is believed to have been founded by Argon the Black, a distant relative of Durran Godsgrief, founder of House Durrandon. The Blackgards are one of the most feared, respected and most powerful houses in Westeros. They occupy the impregnable castle of Blackgard and oversee all travelers looking to enter the Stormlands. House Blackgard was driven to near extinction when House Keller, a powerful rival house, took Blackgard and imprisoned the only surviving Blackgard, Trevyr. However, House Blackgard became victorious after Trevyr successfully destroyed House Keller's stronghold of KellSiege of Kell and rebuilt House Blackgard completely from the start, making the house even more stronger than they were before. Season 1 ]]House Blackgard's banner is seen during the Tourney of the Hand, next to House Baratheon. Eddard Stark has a brief conversation with Eddin Blackgard. Ned mentions that he was impressed with Lord Blackgard's victory over the Greyjoys during the Greyjoy Rebellion while the Greyjoys greatly outnumbered the Blackgards. Season 2 After the Execution of Eddard Stark, Eddin writes a letter to his father, Trevyr, about the events that recently transpired in King's Landing. He leaves King's Landing to return to Blackgard. Season 3 The Blackgards are holding a feast to celebrate Elyse Blackgard and Marlen Rosby's marriage. Several lords seek an audience with Trevyr Blackgard asking him to help them with their troubles. After the lords leave Davos Seaworth enters Lord Trevyr's office. Davos implores Trevyr to join King Stannis. Trevyr denies Davos' request, stating that his house would fall if Stannis' conquest fails. After Davos leaves to bring the bad news to Stannis, the feast ends with the traditional bedding ceremony. Season 4 A representative of the Crown travels to Blackgard to ask the Blackgards to join King Joffrey Baratheon's (or rather Tywin Lannister's) army. He brings a letter from Cersei Lannister who tells them to guard the borders in the name of the king. Dyron protests against this, but Trevyr claims that they have no choice, as Joffrey is King. Before House Blackgard can send a reply, Joffrey dies at his wedding feast. After Dyron visits his sister Elyse at Rosby, he immediately notices that Elyse is bruised. He bites his fist, knowing that it was Marlen's doing. Elyse begs Dyron not to hurt him and as Dyron calms down he jokingly says: "Do you think I'm going to make my sister a widow?". Dyron then leaves, promising Elyse that he will not hurt Marlen. However, Dyron tracks Marlen down and begins to beat him until Marlen is knocked out cold. Dyron threatens Marlen by saying that he will kill him if he touches his sister again, before he leaves. Season 5 ]] Stannis, unsatisfied with Trevyr's response, decides to write a letter to Trevyr himself to bring House Blackgard into his cause. Again, Trevyr refuses, wishing Stannis all the best with his wars and hoping that they will never have to cross paths. House Blackgard hears the news of a certain northern lord who has married a daughter of Lord Jorthos of House HarrigonLucius and Larinna Dragen. Trevyr has known Jorthos for many years and decides to go with Dyron to Gornworth. Dyron feels some concerns about Larinna's new husband, as he has a "strange look in his eyes". Trevyr thinks nothing of it and congratulates Jorthos, Rickard and Larinna. Season 6 For the first time in centuries, snow appears in the Borderlands. This causes great concerns for House Blackgard. Lord Trevyr's health is beginning to deteriorate and he fears that one of his vassals will soon turn on him. Because of his bad health, he makes Dyron acting Lord of BlackgardLord of Blackgard. Rickard Harrigon calls his banners and wages war against House Dragen. At first, Trevyr does not want to interfere, but Dyron agrees nonetheless. Military strength House Blackgard can raise approximately 90,000 men in a relatively short period of time. As an extremely rich house, the Blackgards' forces are among the best-equipped in the Seven Kingdoms. Due to their position as Lord DefendersLord Defender, the Blackgards also command a large fleet, mainly from the Baratheons. The Blackgards showcased the immense strength of their army during the Greyjoy Rebellion, where they completely obliterated the Greyjoy fleet within mere hours. The average Blackgard soldier wears a full silver plated armor with a winged helmet, with small gaps that leave space open for the eyes. Blackgard soldiers are trained immensely, and only talk when spoken to. Relationships Members * Lord {Trovar Blackgard}, Lord of Blackgard. Murdered by the Kellers. ** Lady {Laina Blackgard}, his wife. Murdered by the Kellers. *** Lord {Argon Blackgard}, his firstborn son and brief Lord of Blackgard. Murdered by the Kellers. *** Lord Trevyr Blackgard, his secondborn son. Current Lord of Blackgard. **** Lady {Laenah Blackgard}, his wife, died during childbirth. ***** Dyron Blackgard, Lord Trevyr's firstborn son and heir. ****** Talya Blackgard, his wife. ******* Steffon Blackgard, their firstborn son. ******** Lyessa Garrigon, his wife. ******* Aeron Blackgard, their secondborn son. ******** Maerie Ollington, his wife. ******* Anera Blackgard, their firstborn daughter. ***** Lucan Blackgard, his secondborn son. ****** Jenelyn Harrigon, his wife. ***** Eddin Blackgard, his thirdborn son. ****** Elen Selmy, betrothed to Eddin. ***** Elyse Blackgard, his daughter. ****** Ser Marlen Rosby, Elyse's husband. ***** Ser Ardrew Rock, his estranged bastard son. Master-at-arms at Gornworth. ***** Orran Luxford, foster child of Lord Trevyr. Family tree Cadet branches House Blackgard is a very old and wealthy family, dating back to the time of the Age of Heroes. As a result it has produced numerous cadet branches and distant cousins of the main line, who have prospered as members of the minor nobility in the Borderlands for many years. House Greygard - a major cadet branch of House Blackgard, formally organized as a distinct House. They directly rule the town of Darkmirror for the main branch, while the main branch rules the prosperous and thriving city of Blackgard. House Droft - another major cadet branch of both House Blackgard, and their ancient allies, House Harrigon. The Drofts are a representation of Blackgard and Gornworth century-long relationship as allies. Sworn to House Blackgard Vassal houses * House Bergen of the Iredale Fort * House Greygard of Darkmirror - a cadet branch * House Tymber of Sandkeep * House Tradd of Oakwell * House Skinner of the Cragmire * House Droft of Kell - a cadet branch of both the Blackgards and the Harrigons * House Smyte of Charhelm * House Bruckstone of Castle Bruckstone * House Warth of Weavington * House Linster of Raytheim * House Lash (extinct) * House Cherrane (exiled) ''Minor Vassal houses * House Archyr * House Fletcher Household and sworn men * Archmaester Lorgan, maester at Blackgard and member of the Conclave. * Ser Brant Tymber, master-at-arms. ** Theos Tymber, his son. * Asten Wylde, childhood friend of Lord Trevyr Blackgard and castellan at Blackgard. * Ser Eyan Whent, a knight in service of House Blackgard. * Codin Bruckstone, steward at Blackgard. * Markas Warth, Captain of the Guards. Ancestors * Lord Argon the Black, legendary founder of House Blackgard and first borderman. * Lord Orroman Blackgard, firstborn son of Lord Argon and second Lord of Blackgard. * Saloman Blackgard, secondborn son of Lord Argon, died at sea. * Lady Lenya, wife of Lord Argon. * "Grey" Darreth Blackgard, founder of House Greygard and builder of Greyguard. * Lord Dallon Blackgard, legendary Lord Commander of Greyguard, died during an unexpected wildling raid on Greyguard. * Lord Myrion Blackgard, "Myrion the Silent", father of Boremund Droft. * Lord Dirron Blackgard, "Dirron the Butcher", an insane ruler obsessed with the idea of his deification. * Ser Stevron Blackgard, Master-at-Arms at Blackgard. * Ser Torvan Blackgard, brother of Ser Torvan. * Lord Kennard Blackgard, "Kenn the lucky", eldest surviving son of Lord Dirron. A modest ruler of Blackgard. * Lord Arwynd Blackgard, Lord of Blackgard during the Massacre at Gornworth. * Lord Tragen Blackgard, father of Trovar Blackgard and grandfather of Trevyr Blackgard. * Lord Andaren Blackgard, first Lord Paramount of the Borders. Image gallery Blackgard mini shield.png Blackgard mini banner.png House-Blackgard-heraldry.jpg History-and-lore-of-blackgard.jpg|Argon the Black discovers the Borderlands Blackgard city.jpg|The Black City Blackgard ancestral.jpg|The Blackgard Ancestral Tomb In the books In the ''A Song of Ice and Fire ''novels, House Blackgard was established thousands of years prior to the books' opening by a warlord called Argon the Black, who ventured deep into the Borderlands and settled in the fortress of Blackgard. According to myth, Argon had approximately nine wives and over a hundred children. Most of Argon's children left Blackgard to establish noble houses of their own. Others stayed in Blackgard and branched out to found the many cadet branches the house currently has. The main branch of House Blackgard, led by the Lord of Blackgard, continued to rule Blackgard and the Borderlands in the name of their kings, the Durrandons of Storm's End. After the War of Conquest, the Blackgards were left without a liege lord. Their kings, the Durrandons, were wiped out and replaced by the Baratheons, a distant cadet branch of House Targaryen. Instead of destroying the Blackgards, King Aegon instead decided to elevate the Blackgards from their position by making them a Great House, rulers of the independent region of the Borderlands. The Blackgards have been Lords Paramount of the Borders ever since. During Robert's Rebellion, the Blackgards chose to remain neutral. However, both Robert Baratheon and Aerys II wanted to bring the Blackgards into the war. When the current lord, Trevyr Blackgard, declared that House Blackgard made their decision not to interfere in the war, Targaryen loyalists attacked Stanlire, House Cherrane's stronghold and killed most of the house's members. After the incident, Trevyr had no choice but to participate in the war, much to his dismay. House Blackgard consists of a "main" branch led by Lord Trevyr and a junior branch, led by cousins, that controls the town of Darkmirror. The Blackgards are a relatively large family, though nowhere near as numerous as the Freys of the Crossing. See also * The Borderlands * Argon the Black References Category:Houses from the Borderlands Category:Great Houses Category:SharkyBytesz Category:House Blackgard